


Lack of Attention

by systems



Series: GDI Sterek (tumblr fics) [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Based on a Tumblr Post, Grad Student Derek, M/M, Multitasking is hard okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-07-21 03:15:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16151369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/systems/pseuds/systems
Summary: Derek doesn’t always pay attention to the conversations he’s having when he’s working on other things. Sometimes, this leads to awkward situations.





	Lack of Attention

Derek is a shit multitasker, alright? He’s never been good at it. With the exception of combining sports and talking, there are no two things Derek can manage at the same time. Reading and cooking? He burned spaghetti. Talking on the phone and doing laundry? Once, he dropped his phone in the machine. Another time, he accidentally agreed with his mother when she said he should come home more often, and found himself grading papers on the bus from Sacramento to Beacon Hills three weekends in a row.

He’s been camping out at this diner on Thursdays between lectures for a couple of weeks now. It’s busy, but the type of busy that fades to the background while he’s working. He has a discussion group until 4:40 and a seminar at 7. It’s enough time to get home and eat and come back, but then he spends his time in traffic, so now he treats himself to a burger and grades the quizzes Professor Hamilton gives every Wednesday so he can give them back when class meets again on Friday.

He’s still debating whether Eli should get a half point or no points at all for his rambling answer that amounts to “this is a bullshit question” - which Derek agrees with but is not the answer on the key Professor H gave him - when his phone rings. He picks up, makes some agreeable noises without really absorbing anything, and dutifully says, “Love you, too, Mom” when she says goodbye. Something about Christmas plans; he’ll ask Laura later. She always drives him back, anyway.

A plate slides into his peripheral vision. He drops his phone in favor of shoving a fry in his mouth. The server says, “Enjoy your meal,” and Derek says, “Yeah, love you, too,” and takes a sip of Coke.

It takes a moment before Derek realizes what he’s said.

He looks up at the server in horror - and it’s Stiles, of course, why wouldn’t it be Stiles - and he can’t even think of anything to say that would help the situation. He’s mortified, and Stiles’s gorgeous brown eyes are wide. His lips have fallen open and there is no way he should look this kissable when he’s still gawking at Derek.

“Um,” Derek says.

Stiles snorts, pressing his lips together as he obviously tries to hold back a laugh.

“Stiles!” one of the other waiters shouts, breaking the moment.

“Okay!” Stiles yells over his shoulder. And then, to Derek, with a strangely soft smile, “You’re cute. We should get coffee sometime. Not here, our coffee’s not great and I spend enough time here as it is, but maybe someplace near campus? Unless you don’t drink coffee,” he adds hurriedly, “I mean, you can totally get tea or soda or whatever you want, it’s cool, that is, if you want to?”

Derek chuckles, having found his equilibrium somewhere in Stiles’s familiar rambling style of speech. “I’d like that,” he says.

“You would?” Stiles asks. “That’s great, that’s really great, that’s - um. Neat. Cool. Um. I’m just going to go carry more plates now, but I’ll see you?”

“Yeah.” Derek rips off a corner of one of the quizzes and scribbles his number down. “Call me?”

Stiles grins. “I will.”

As Derek watches him pick his way back through the tables toward the kitchen, he can’t help feeling a little grateful for being so terrible a multitasker.

**Author's Note:**

> From this post and Haelley’s tag #somebody write me a fic
> 
> This is not the first piece I’ve written that’s inspired by berry-muffin. 
> 
> Come say hi on tumblr or pillowfort! I’m gfdisterek in both places.


End file.
